Plagiarism Policy

Similarity Screening

All submissions are screened for textual similarity using Crossref Similarity Check. Screening takes place after submission and before the manuscript is sent for external peer review, so that concerns are identified before reviewers and editors spend time on a manuscript.

Similarity reports are examined by the editorial office and read in context. Matches to properly cited sources, reference lists, standard methodological wording, and the authors' own declared earlier work are expected in scholarly writing and are not, by themselves, treated as misconduct. Editorial assessment always considers what has been matched as well as how much has been matched.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is the presentation of another person's work, words, ideas, images, or data as one's own. It includes copying text without attribution, close paraphrase that reproduces the substance and expression of a source without acknowledgement, and the reuse of figures, tables, or data taken from another work without permission or citation.

All sources must be fully cited, whether they are published articles, preprints, theses, conference papers, datasets, or web resources. Quotation of another author's wording requires quotation marks and a full citation.

Duplicate and Redundant Publication

Manuscripts must be original work that is not under consideration by any other journal. Submitting the same manuscript to more than one journal at the same time, or publishing substantially the same study more than once, is treated as duplicate publication.

Redundant publication also covers the case where a manuscript overlaps substantially with a work already published by its authors, whether in a journal or in another venue, without that overlap being disclosed and justified at submission.

Prior dissemination that does not constitute duplicate publication — such as a preprint, a thesis held by a university, or a conference abstract or presentation — does not by itself prevent a manuscript from being considered. The journal's Publication Ethics policy describes how these cases are handled, including the additional requirements that apply to conference papers.

Self-Plagiarism and Text Reuse

Reusing text from one's own earlier publications is not plagiarism, but it is not exempt from disclosure. Where a manuscript contains substantial text overlap with the authors' own previously published work, that overlap must be disclosed at submission and the earlier publication must be cited in the manuscript. Undisclosed reuse of the authors' own published text, presented as new material, is treated as self-plagiarism.

Reuse of standard wording that describes established methods, instruments, or regulations is generally acceptable where the source is cited and the reuse is limited to what is necessary for an accurate description.

Where a manuscript republishes material that has already appeared in print, the authors must state what has been published before, cite the earlier version, and explain what the new submission adds. The Publication Ethics policy sets out the journal's position on theses, conference proceedings, preprints, and translations.

How Concerns Are Handled

Concerns about plagiarism or duplicate publication may be raised by editors, reviewers, readers, or any other party. Every concern is considered, and the journal follows the guidelines of COPE at each stage.

Appeals

Authors who consider a similarity finding, or a decision based on it, to be mistaken may appeal in writing to ethics@hndconflux.com. An appeal should identify the specific finding that is contested and provide the evidence that supports the authors' position, such as the original sources, permissions, or prior disclosure.

Appeals are handled under the appeals procedure described in the journal's Publication Ethics policy and in the Complaints Procedure.

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